Mugen Max (Honda Accord Euro R)

With most CL7Rs reaching the end of its lifespan due to the COE cycle, cars such as these will become a rarefied breed. There might be faster, more tech-laden cars on local tarmac, but nothing can replace the satisfaction of a good old manual gearbox and a well tuned naturally aspirated unit.

The Honda Accord Euro R is one of the few performance cars that can proudly proclaim to have the perfect balance between performance and practicality, besides its slightly madder brother – the FD Civic Type R. It has proper seats, a boot and a roomy interior. But beauty is only skin-deep, as the Type R models go beyond cosmetic changes.

It’s also a funny sign of how times have changed. While it was not a crowd favorite due to its family-friendly four-door configuration, the configuration eventually won the Type R enthusiasts over – And Honda’s taking a little gamble with the new Civic Type R which looks like a cross between a sedan and hatchback.

Take the Honda Accord Euro R (CL7R) as an example. With a cabin so practical and conducive, the untrained eyes might even mistake this car for a mainstream car. But dig deeper and you will understand what makes this car tick, and why this is respected within the motoring fraternity.

The focus with the upgrades, was everything in this case. There is no mistaking this for a regular Accord just by the way it sounds. A bigger Skunk2 throttle body, mated to a customised fat tummy intake emits a menacing growl from under the hood. Angry idling noises are courtesy of the Mugen exhaust which is has a nice bassy tone, but doesn’t sound like a giant fart cannon at full blast!

One may easily mistake the constantly running ran and rattling for a little tech problem, but the clutch and fans were specifically installed to bring power to the wheels and cool air flowing into the engine bay.

The full JDM obsession continues down to the wheels, which are Rays Volk Racing RE30 in matte bronze. They hide a set of AP Racing calipers, slotted rotors and shod with the all-rounder performance tyres, the Direzza Z2. Hinting at the occasional track day use, the chassis reveals many more enhancements like Tein coilovers (set at medium-ish), front strut bar, thicker anti roll bars and one four-point brace at the rear to keep things taut.

Why only the rear? Keeping the rear stiff, and with the thicker anti roll bar, these help in keeping the weight distribution on the front wheels more equal and better turn in.

Japan goodies galore on the inside, starting from the awesome thick grip of the steering wheel, and solid hand feel of the shift knob. The original semi-bucket seats hug you nicely, while the big gauges tell you everything all you need to know of what’s going on deep inside the engine bay. Push it hard, and it’ll flash you when you hit the glorious Vtec peak!

Most performance-oriented cars have standard sound systems (heck, we just drove one which didn’t have any), but with a focus on everyday driving enjoyment – the sound system, complete with a full range of speakers belts out the tunes in EMMA competition-grade glory, that is, if you can ease off the gas and keep the growling tiger tame.

Visuals excite, and on the outside, the mix-match combo of a carbon fibre bonnet, custom front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper adds to the visual appeal of an “executive” sedan. Well, once one goes past the big wing at the back, there isn’t much to fault about this hot ride!

Great to see another enthusiast who is willing to go the distance to keep his car on the roads in Singapore for another ten great years ahead!